Things Jordan Misses, Part 2

(Also titled: An Ode To Those Who Are Far Away)

Originally this post was going to be about the free concert MTV put on in Madrid yesterday because of the European Video Music Awards. And how I saw Kanye West, Katy Perry, Linkin Park and 30 Seconds to Mars. And how it was really awesome and how I love living in a city where things like that just happen on a regular basis.

However, after work today I found myself in a very nostalgic mood. Like, "sit around and listen to Enya and light some candles" kinda nostalgia. (Wait...am I the only one who does that?)

Aaaaaanyway.....I decided to change the route of this particular blog post and have another installment of "Things Jordan Misses." This one has a bit more of a serious tone to it than the 1st one, but I promise I'll try to keep it light. And Kanye and Katy will have to wait for another day.

So what am I missing at this point in time? Well, to be very blunt, I'm missing all of the people I have left behind back home. (Now Mom, before you freak out and call/text/skype/facebook/email me to make sure I'm okay, I promise you I'm fine. These moments happen to all of us occasionally.)

So this post will be my nod to all of the people I love and miss. A tip of the hat, if you will. We'll see how it goes.

1. The Familia

Well, let me just go ahead and throw out the obligatory "family" part. I mean, this kind of goes without saying, right? They're my family, of course I miss them. I hate being so far away, especially with the two newest members of the clan growing so fast. But I know that they're always waiting for me as I walk through that "Welcome to America" gate at the airport.

2. Erin

The next person I find myself missing on a daily basis is my best friend Erin. She and I met freshman year (or soon thereafter) and stayed extremely close throughout our entire 4 (and a half) years at OU. It broke my heart a little bit when she started medical school and I moved out of the country, but we've still stayed in touch constantly and I've seen her both times that I've been home over the last year. But I'm always looking forward to the times when I see her again.

3. Kayla

And here we have my good friend Kayla, who was my partner in crime here in Spain last year. This girl has also been a huge part of my life for several years now and I can't imagine my first year in Madrid without her....and daily wish she was still here with me. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I couldn't get her to stay here with me for another year, but this is another one I look forward to seeing when I go home.

4. Every one of these guys

It's actually kind of funny that I'm missing all the guys in this photo because all of them (with the exception of the girl in the photo) are European. From left to right there is Jorge from Spain, Marc from France, Dini (standing) from Spain, Guillaume from France, me, Rudolph from Germany, Nellie (a fellow American) and Jacek from Germany. However, despite them all being on my same continent, they're still all very far away, so it counts. It's hard to imagine a cooler group of guys or a better group of friends than this. They made my last year at OU amazing. (and they know it) Luckily, I've had a few reunions with them since living over here, so it's made me miss them just a bit less than I would have otherwise.

5. DrewSo Erin snuck in to another picture, but it's just because I was too lazy to search for a picture with just me and Drew. But Drew was in my fraternity at OU and one of my best friends from the beginning to the end. I got to hang out with him a bit this summer, but not enough, and I can't wait to get back and have a reunion with this guy.

6. ElizabethI was actually lucky enough to have Elizabeth come visit me last year, which was a blast, but once is never enough. Another one of my best friends from OU and my neighbor for two years when I lived in Phi Delt and she lived in Tri Delt. One of the most fun people I know. She'll be getting married soon, which blows my mind, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the date will be at a time when I'm in the US to see it happen.

7. BishopAnother one of my fraternity brothers and my roommate for my (1st) senior year at OU. Bishop is one of the most hilarious guys I've ever met in my entire life and I haven't seen him in way too long. This picture is from Homecoming '07 when the two of us were both selected to be on Homecoming Royalty Court.

8. Megan

Another good friend who came to visit me in Madrid, this picture is of me and Megan at a bar in Madrid. Megan is one of the most caring, accepting, kind individuals that I have ever met and always a good time to hang out with. She and I always seem to have a good time, whether is going and sitting by Lake Hefner and talking or bar-hopping around Madrid, Spain.

And of course, there are countless others I could include on here, but I'm getting lazy and this is all I really have the patience for. But I miss everyone that I've left back home and I constantly look forward to being reunited with them again. I don't lie when I say that I have NO idea what my future holds and where I'll be in a year's time, but the one thing I do know is that all of these people will be a part of my life, whether in Spain, America, China, the moon, or anywhere else.

And that is what Jordan is missing right now.